Sons of Flame
A symbol of hope against the Long Night, the Sons of Flame stands for the legacy of the Vutmani Empire. Though Sons of Flame contain legendary combat prowess and lineage withing their blood, the order faces its greatest test during this age. The Sons of Flame are one of the two factions of Night-imbued Free Folk. They are descended from the original migrants from Vantis and were birthed during one of the Frostlands' cycles of the Long Night. Unlike the Sons of Black, the Sons of Flame craft dull weapons which become enchanted with Rath's flame when in need. They are extremely reliant on the might of their faith and head into battle unknowing if their Lord will even grant them use of his power. Their powers were awakened once Rath was summoned into the heart of Grim Batol, which he has attuned himself to. Their sworn enemies are the Sons of Black. History Ancient History Desperation plagued the Vutmani Emperor, who tried his most to refrain from calling Rath's '''name so frequently. Once the invaders from the North had begun to savagely raid villages and strongholds, the '''Emperor '''was left no choice. He traveled to the '''Temple of the Lord's Light '''on the edge of the Southern Continent. He convinced the Priests to call upon Rath and grant his greatest warriors the powers of the flame in the first clash between two continents of '''Vantis. The Priests merely promised that Rath would himself attend the battle, leaving the Emperor '''anxious for the coming clash. The '''North '''and '''South '''would have their first, major battle at the Battle of the Afari Mountains. Once the battle had begun, as promised, '''Rath '''attended the battle in the form of a flock of great dragons. Led the great dragon Dracosis, Rath sent dozens of his Proto-Dragon descendants to rain down fire upon the legions of '''Northerners, and strangely Vutmani '''as well. Whilst the Northerners were wholly consumed by the flame, the Vutmani were instead, empowered. Their blades, arrows, armor, eyes, hair, and mouths raged with '''Rath's '''flame, their very souls seemingly lit in his likeness. With the battle won, the legions of Vutmani swore to forever praise and revere '''Rath's '''name, as well as his descendants, the '''Proto-Dragons. Order of Rath Eventually the descendants of the men who'd fought at the Battle of the Afari Mountains began to realize their natural affinity for the flame. Priests of the Holy Flame would travel across the continent and recruit these descendants and train them from the Book of Rath. This would eventually give rise to the Order of Rath which itself became its own nation of flame-wielding warriors and Rath worshiping priests. Initially, the Order '''was one of righteousness; until the beginning of the Hundred-Year Darkness when the words written in the Book of Rath were reinterpreted by radical priestesses. Instead of practicing isolation and harmonious religious practices, a new branch of the religion practiced conquest and crusading; believing that above all else, they were tasked with the mitigation if not destruction of the great evil that laid North. This militant sect broke off from the '''Order '''and began to call themselves the '''Sons of Flame. The Sons of Flame would not complete their quest for dominion of the South and instead sailed North to do prophesied battle with the forces of the darkness. Once they'd arrived, they learned of the mysterious Old Nan who intended on taking her people far across the Great Dark Beyond, to a world on which they would spread their influence. In hopes of thwarting their plans, the Sons of Flame and the Priests of the Holy Flame hid their presence from the forces of Night. In the years it took to open the dimensional gateway, the Sons hid amongst the Free Folk tribes and used the Priests '''to bound the spirits of young '''Sons of Flame, to relics to be reawakened at the prophesied battle; Ragnarök. Azeroth Still hidden within the rigid ranks of''' Free Folk''' clans, the Sons of Flame traveled across the Great Dark to Azeroth, through the Dark Portal, to the cold roof of the world of Azeroth. Overestimating their ability to call to Rath from across the Great Dark, they crossed to discover that they were utterly powerless, except the children who had been sacrificed and bound to the powerful dragon bone relics they held. Still determined to preserve their powerful lineage, the Sons decided to mate with the Free Folk women, even creating their own clans to do so. Much of their line was joined with that of native Northerns, decided from the original castaways of Vrykul society. With the fall of the Queen of Winter , Free Folk '''escape over The Wall had never been so opportune. Thousands of Free Folk fled to Northrend and further, much of these, unknowingly carrying the blood their Sons of Flame ancestors. Seeking the literal polar opposite of the Frostlands, the Sons fled to the far south. Many of them went on to establish the Church of Holy Flame under the leadership of the Red Priest, Lordis. Overview A symbol of hope in dark times, the '''Sons of Flame stands for the legacy of the Order of Rath. Though Sons of Rath have served as generals, guerilla fighters, and warriors for generations, their legendary combat prowess faces its greatest test during this age of reemergence. Sons of Rath are largely clueless as to the ability that lingers within their blood, and the power it bestows upon them. With the help of their Red Priests who interpret and preach the Book of Rath, the Sons '''tap into their souls and are blessed with with unrivaled reflexes and practiced physical precision. The Son, once empowered, turns combat into an art form, gracefully executing acrobatic feats in tandem with elegant blade tactics. A source of inspiration to allies and intimidation to adversaries, the '''Son of Flame's presence is welcome in any confrontation. The Order’s '''long history of fighting for justice has earned the trust of countless friends and the hate of innumerable enemies. Few, though, are foolish enough to challenge a seasoned Son of Flame unless they have the skills and technology to even the odds. *While some '''Sons '''serve '''Rath '''without question, others are often tempted to return to the approaching darkness, hearing its whispers, often in their sleep. Others may carry such rebellion even further, with concealed aspirations to embrace the '''Night '''and subvert the '''Church of the Holy Flame from within. Description & Abilities Attire Sons of Flame often sport heavy armor into battle, though once granted the Lord's Flame, move as if nothing was equipped. Ceremonial armor and robes have long been forgotten. However, the current incarantion of the Sons often sport carefully made masks which cover majority if not all of their face. The masks, although they imply the position of the bearer in the Order, are mostly menacing, if not outright terrifying. Combat Abilities *The Son of Flame's graceful movements are awesome to behold. Freezing a moment in this display captures the deep commitment underlying the Son's '''dazzling abilities. Though a '''Son of Flame's life is filled with battle and prayer, the Son's '''heart is dedicated to purity, at least their definition of it. Whether defending allies by deflecting a barrage of '''Wights '''or charging in to challenge one of the Sons of Black. The '''Son of Flame '''enjoys the benefit of ancient teachings that have been passed down through hundreds of generations. Combining these time-tested maneuvers with the natural guidance of the '''Flame, the Son is capable of achieving extraordinary feats. *Focusing body and mind, the Son '''is capable of blasting opponents with a powerful wave of Fire Energy', knocking them off their feet while scorching their skin. More powerful Sons have even been known to practice this technique against large groups. The '''Sons'' Firesword '''or '''Bladeless Hilt techniques include powerful, synergistic combinations designed to render any enemy defenseless against a decisive finishing move. While completing this maneuver, the Son '''is preparing to take on an additional enemy. Combining physical prowess and focus, the '''Son '''can expand his '''Firesword '''or '''Bladeless Hilt and release a spinning arc of fire to sear enemies at a distance. Practice and mastery can increase one's attunement to the flame, enabling the Son 'to occasionally spawn an electric-blue fire instead of the rudimentary red-orange. increasing his power, tenfold. *'Sons '''may also, simply linger in the back of the battle, empowering their allies with flame or firing bolts of it at their foes. These are often made up of the poor class of '''Surwich '''which has turned to the '''Church '''out of desperation. Much like '''Priests, they sport long robes, although much more suited for battle. While they are the militant version of Red Priests, they lack the ability to resurrect their allies. Category:Factions